By Naji Tobias

BRIGHTON —  After more than two decades of service with the Seminole Tribe, the Tribal Council promoted Brighton’s John Wayne Huff Sr. as the Tribalwide superintendent of Public Works.

The longtime Tribal member and employee moved up from his previous position of approximately 24 years as the Brighton Reservation’s Public Works supervisor.

Huff, 64, said he appreciates the move recently made by the Tribal Council on his behalf.

“Our Council is very educated in what they’re doing right now,” he said. “They’re all business-minded and they want what’s best for the Tribe. They are behind all of us in our department and want to see us do well. I’m very appreciative of them giving me the opportunity to serve in my new position.”

In a recent Tribal Council meeting, Brighton Tribal Council Rep. Andrew J. Bowers Jr. talked about Huff’s promotion.

“John Wayne Huff Sr. was put in a new role as superintendent of Public Works,” Bowers said. “So he’s the man here in Brighton now. He probably knows every water line on the reservation and that kind of thing. I think he finally got his due.”

During Huff’s time as Brighton’s Public Works supervisor, he oversaw the Tribal department’s successful erection of a water plant on the reservation and the assembly of a wastewater treatment plant.

Huff also led the Tribal department in installing water lines and fire hydrants on the Brighton Reservation. The works have benefited Tribal citizens in that many of the water lines have been erected close to the Brighton Reservation’s paved highways or gravel roads.

Through the years, the carefully built water lines have positively affected homes across the Brighton Reservations. Also, fire hydrants have been placed throughout Brighton, mostly close to the reservation’s roadways.

“It benefits our Tribal citizens here in Brighton quite a bit because a lot of people were clustered in one particular area years ago,” Huff said. “Now, Tribal citizens want to have their homes built at a convenient distance from one another so we can get water closer to their residences.”

Huff said he appreciates the support he’s received from his employees in the continued efforts to improve the quality of life for Brighton’s Tribal citizens. The Tribal senior has about 15 Brighton employees currently under his direct supervision.

“My employees do a really good job,” Huff said. “They can relate to each other and they’ve been trained by the Tribe. I wanted the employees to have an opportunity to gain knowledge in a variety of trades within our Public Works Department. We have certified electricians, certified welders, septic tank and pump truck operators. It saves a lot of money for the Tribe and ensures that we have a quality staff serving the Tribe and its people.”

Huff said that despite the promotion, business will go on as usual for him.

“To me, nothing has really changed,” Huff said. “I meet with each of my staff members in Public Works once a month. If they have any concerns on how we can improve our production, I make myself available to help them along the way.”

Prior to his employment with the Tribe’s Public Works Department, Huff spent seven years working in the Brighton Reservation’s Food Bank as an agriculture land operator, where he learned how to grow a variety of crops such as watermelon and cantaloupe. Huff also learned how to raise hogs on the Brighton Reservation.

With all the experience he has had working for the Tribe, Huff said he has had a wonderful time.

“I enjoy working for the Tribe very much,” he said. “I always wanted to have a permanent job working for my people. It feels great to represent the Tribe in the capacity that I serve.”